Improvement in cotton peess



@einen .tetes stent ffice.

JOHN 'W. MelNTYRE, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

Lettersljatent Nb. 63,916, dated April 16, 1867,

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON PRESS.

@In rlgrhnle return tu in tiges tniits itmt mit maintenant' if tigtsans.

TOALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Bc it known that I, JOHN W. MCNTYRE, of Memphis, in the county ofShelby, and in the State of Tennessee, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Cotton' Presses, and de hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', referencebeing had to vthe accompanying drawings, und to the letters of referencemarked thereon.

In the annexed drawings, A represents the frame of the press, whichconsists of four metallic standards, which form the four corners of theframe, placed at a suitable distance apart, and securely connected andsecured together by means of metallic cross-bars. This frame stands in avertical position, and within it is constructed the box in which thecotton is packed and pressed. There are two boxes, the lower one beingprovided with doors, through which the bale is takenifrom the box. C Crepresent the panels or sides of the upper box; these are permanentlysecured in the frame. D D represent thedoors or sides of the lower box;these doors are hinged to the cross-bars B B of the frame, so that theycan lift up to allow the bale t0 be removed. d d represent small dogs orcatches to hold the doors up when it is desired. The edges of the doorsl) D are provided with flanges, f, which said flanges prevent the enddoors D from being lifted or pushed out of place after being shut down,and the side doors closed and confined in position. The anges catchagainst the outside edges of the doors D', and in this way prevent theirbeing moved outward, until the side doors are first lifted. L representmetallic bars, placed on the sides and near the bottom of the frame,which are raised and lowered by means of o. lever, M, which connects toa frame, o, which said frame is connected to the sitlebars L. By raisingand lowering the lever, the bars L are thrown' up or down. When the barsL are thrown up, they rest against the sides-of the doors D D, andprevent their being opened edt or thrown up. By lowering the end oflever M, the bars L are brought down beneath the lower edges of thedoors D D, and allow them to be opened so that the bale of cotton can beremoved. Rrepresents a follower, which passes into the box at its upperend, and is for tho purpose of pressing the cotton down into the box.Lying across and secured to the follower R, is a bar, S. The ends ofthis bar S project beyond the sides of the box. The-bar passes downtowards the lower end of the box in grooves or openings, Z, which aremade in the sides ol' the upper box. The upper brace or cross-bars ofthe frame are constructed and arranged in the form shown, (g.`4;) saidupper brace being so shaped as to allow the ends of the bar S to passdown through the ears F F. Connected to the ends of the follower are twocords, g g, which pass over pulleys on top of the frame, and then downon the outside of the press, and have weights attached to their lowerends. These cords and weights are for thc purpose of drawing thefollower up, when pressure is taken oii` of' it, so that it will beready for repeating the operation of' pressing a new bale. t t representcords which are attached at their upper ends to the outer ends of thebar S, and at their lower ends to pulleys I I. These cords are for thepurpose of drawing the followerdo\vn into thebox and pressing the cottoninto the bale. G represents a metallic shaft, which lies across thefreine at its lower end.V This shaft is provided at its outer ends withthe pulleys l l, which are loose upon the said shaft. The inner ends ofthese pulleys are provided with the usual cam and shoulder, againstwhich a clutch catches. H H represent clutches upon shaft G, which slidebut do not revolve upon it. When the clutches are pressed against thepulleys, said pulleys nre made stationary upon the shaft.V Theseclutches are moved to or from the pulleys 'hymen-ns of .the lever K,which is hinged 'at a', and which are connected to the clutches by meansof the small bars g g and L z.. a a represent spur or ratchet-wheels,which are permanently secured upon the shaft G- near its centre. J Jrepresentltwo levers which are loosely connected by collars to the shaftG, and which are provided with dogs or ratchet teeth which catch intothe teeth of wheels a a for the purpose of turning or revolving saidwheels. e e represent dogs ou the opposite side of the wheelsv a a fromlevers J J, and which are secured in a portion of the framework of thebottom of the frame, and 4which are for the purpose of catching into theteeth of the wheels a a for the purpose of stationing thcin at anydesired point. B v raising and lowering the outer ends of the levers JJ, the wheels'a a, and with thcni the Ashaft G, are revolved. When thepulleys l lare stationed by the clutches und the shaft G is revolved,the cords t 1 are wound around the pulleys, and thus the follower R isdrawn down into the box upon the cotton. B and B are metalliccross-bars, forming frames to bind and secure the frame nprights A Atogether firmly.`

In using this press the cotton is placed in the upper box until bothupper and lower boxes are full; the

follower R is then placed in the box over the cotton, and drawn down inthe manner which has been described, until the bottom ofthe block orfdllower is on a. level with the tops of the doors D D The ties areproperly secured around the bale thus pressed, and the doors D D areopened and the bale is removed. The press is then ready for a new supplyof cotton. The bottom of lthe press may be constructed in any of theknown and usual ways, being a rectangular metallic frame with theupright frame-pieces A A bolted to its four corners at their bottoms orlower ends. f

Having thus fully described my invention7 what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The arrangement of the upper box, provided with slotted sides C C,with the follower and bar S, side doors D D, provided with angesff, andend doors D D', the several parts being constructed and used sub-Astantially as and for the purpose specified. v

2.. The arrangementof the shaft Gr, with its attachments with the cordst t, follower R, bar S, and cords g g, with weights P P attached, forthe purpose of operating the follower in both directions, substantiallyas specided. i l

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I-have hereunto set my hand andseal this 27th day of Decem-l ber. 1866.

JOHN W. McIN'lYRE.

Witnesses C. M. ALEXANDER, J. M. MASON. v

